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Suns beat 76ers to end six-game skid

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Modified: January 2, 2013 at 11:30 pm •
Published: January 2, 2013

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PHOENIX (AP) — Luis Scola and the Phoenix Suns have watched a lot of late leads vanish. On Wednesday, they found a way to hold on.

Scola scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half and the Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 95-89 to snap a six-game losing streak.

Phoenix Suns' Jared Dudley (3) celebrates a three-point basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of an NBAbasketball game on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

"It's only one win but we needed one win," Scola said.

Phoenix, which leads the NBA with nine games decided by three points or fewer, led by nine entering the fourth and pushed the lead to 11, before the 76ers cut the lead to two.

Jrue Holliday found Dorell Wright breaking down the left baseline from halfcourt for an alley-oop layup that pulled the 76ers within 87-85 with 2:16 to go.

Goran Dragic made a pair of free throws, P.J. Tucker hit a 16-footer and the 76ers turned the ball over twice over the next minute as the Suns opened a 91-85 lead.

"We do that regularly," Scola said. "The difference this time is we let a team get to two but we closed out the game. If we had been able to close (more) our record would be much better."

"Games are going to be close," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. "We're not going to be up seven and then up 20. That's just not going to happen."

Holliday had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double for the 76ers, who are 2-7 in the second half of back-to-back games. Wright and Thaddeus Young had 14 points apiece for Philadelphia.

"I thought that once the third quarter started and they got a little bit of a lead, I thought they had control of the game," said 76ers coach Doug Collins. "We looked up and we had a chance but we never came up with a big rebound."